Crucq AS, Tilquin BL
Unite d'Analyse Chimique et Physico-Chimique des Medicaments, Universite
Catholique de Louvain UCL-72 30, Bruxelles, Belgique.
Free radicals are physiological products and can react to administrated
drugs. Metabolic transformations by radical mechanisms are, therefore,
possible. A fundamental study of radio-induced degradation of aqueous solutions
of sodium cefotaxime, a third generation cephalosporin, was realized to
describe these possible radical mechanisms. Different radicals produced
by the radiolysis method (.OH, N3., Br2.-, Tbut., eaq- + .OH, and exq-
+ Tbut.) were successively used to induce the radical mechanisms and their
effects were compared. All these radicals induce the formation of a same
main radiolysis product identified as anticefotaxime. Radical mechanisms
induced by N3., Tbut., and eaq- include chain reactions to explain the
formation of anticefotaxime contrary to those induced by .OH and Br2.-.
PMID: 8902528, UI: 97058199